Berry cleaner



Nov. 2 1926,

J. VESANEN BERRY CLEANER Filed Opt. 22.. 1925 x [W fizv-a/e/vfk Patented Nov. 2, 1926.

STATES JOHN VESANEN, OF THOMASTON, MAINE.

BERRY CLEANER.

Application filed October 22, 1925.

This invention relates to improvements in berry cleaners and its principal object is to provide novel manually operated means for efficiently cleaning berries and small fruits t of dirt, trash and foreign matter generally incidentally to preparing them for the marlcet. Simplicity, efficiency and durability in construction are objects attained in the present invention.

) With the foregoing and other objects in view the invention consists in the combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms a part of this application and in Which F ig. 1 is a side view of the machine. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan View of the berry cleaner with the travelling belt omitted.

Like reference characters denote corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The berry cleaner comprises a casing 1 provided at its ends with the vents 2, 3 and supported upon legs 1. A rotary shaft 5,-

square 1n cross section has its ends journaled in the sides of the casing and fast to said shaft and supported thereby off center is a frame 6 in which a plurality of longitudinally extending parallel spaced slats 7 are arranged, said frame carrying the rollers S, 9 at its ends over which latter members :m the belt 10 passes that also passes about the large roller 11 the shaft 12 of which is supported in the sides of the casing 1.

A belt tightener 13 supported at one end of the bell-crank 14 is in engagement with P the said belt, said bell-crank being supported in the floor 15 of the casing and connected at its outer end by the contractile spring 16 to the lug 17 made fast to the floor 15. 4:3 An arm 18 is made fast to the said shaft 5 at a point upon the same beyond the casing 1, said arm 18 being disposed at right angles to shaft 5 and in contact with the periphery of a cam 19 supported upon a stub shaft carried by the casing 1, said stub shaft being capable of rotation by means of a hand crank 20, said stub shaft having fast thereupon the pulley 21 connected by belt 22 to the pulley 23 fast upon 55 one end of the aforesaid shaft 12.

Serial No. 64,148.

Referring again to the frame 6 it will be noted that the position of the shaft 5, relatively remote from the frame roller 8 will normally cause the frame 6 to assume the position shown in full lines in Fig. 2 with the roller 8 in a lowered position relative to the roller 9. Rotation of the pulley 21, however, by means of handle 20 will cause the arm 18 to intermittently raise the frame 6 into the position shown dotted. This oscillating motion will cause the berries which are introduced into the casing 1 upon the belt to roll off toward the roller 8. The belt is rotating in a direction toward the vent 3. The berries being round will roll off the belt toward the vent 2 and pass out through the same while the dirt will remain upon the belt or pass off the opposite end of the conveyer.

What is claimed is 1. In a berry cleaner, a casing, a frame within said casing, a shaft journaled in said casing and projecting beyond the same and operatively supporting said frame 01f center, rollers carried by said frame, a manual ly operable roller arranged in said casing, a belt passing over said roller and over the rollers of said frame, a stub shaft provided with a handle and carried by the casing, connection between said manually operable roller and stub shaft, and connection between said stub shaft and the first named shaft whereby an oscillating movement is imparted to the latter by rotation of said stub shaft.

2. In a berry cleaner, a casing, a frame within said casing, a square shaft journaled in said casing and projecting beyond the same and operatively supporting said frame off center, rollers carried by said frame, a roller arranged in said casing, a belt passing over said roller and over the frame rollers, a stub shaft carried by the casing, connection between said casing roller and stub shaft, a cam fast upon said stub shaft, an arm fast to said square shaft engaging said cam, and an operating handle for said stub shaft.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto alfixed my signature.

JOHN VESANEN.

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